If we tried to define a trend that to a large extent shapes our current thinking about ourselves and our needs, it would certainly be the individualism. We want to stand out, we want to be noticed and appreciated. That’s why, teamwork becomes quite a challenge.

If there are problems ahead of us waiting to be solved, conflicts are inevitable. If a task is successfully completed, the success is attributed to everyone and then the people dedicated to and mostly involved in the project are unhappy with the injustice. Should we then abandon the teamwork and focus on the abilities of an individual?
By no means! The results generated by cooperative teams in many areas exceed by far the effects of the work performed by individual specialists, while in many other areas teamwork is definitely a must. What should be done to make teamwork effective?

Many experts argue that failures in joint activities don’t result from the lack of cooperation skills, but from the conditions that hinder that cooperation… Let’s see what it means.

First, we need to imagine the ideal conditions required for teamwork. Studying the materials obtained from coaching companies and looking at studies on business psychology, it’s possible to select a few key elements that will boost cooperation and motivate each member to become active.
These are:

Common goal
Well-defined, widely discussed, logical and measurable, in accordance with the abilities of the group.

Trust
Mutual trust between the leader and the group as well as the feeling of trust and reliability inside the group. Some people might claim that it could often be impossible. It is true in case of those groups in which the participants can’t freely exchange their opinions or don’t put their tasks in perspective.

Flexibility
If the group is able to react quickly, meet up and discuss things as they come along, the participants won’t lose the precious time and they will also become more creative. One thought leads to another one. The team has a synergic force producing such incredible results that a single person could only dream of.

Creativity and good relationships
It goes without saying that the best ideas people get in weird situations. Either in the shower, a traffic jam or in a cafe… We can come up with a simple conclusion – we sometimes shouldn’t force ourselves to think. All we need is just a bit of fun and relaxation. We could be sitting in a comfortable armchair holding a cup of steaming coffee. Maybe during such a spontaneous conversation somebody will come up with an idea that will soon revolutionise the strategy of the company. It’s just the positive, friendly atmosphere and time spent together in an informal setting that can build a team.

What should we do to create these ideal conditions?
First of all, a good human resources management strategy should be implemented.  
We should hire workers for their skills that distinguish them from all the other candidates. They are often individualities. Therefore, we need to make sure that while working on some individual tasks they still feel they are part of the team. The ability to influence the project, a constructive discussion about the project, and then the awareness of  contributing to the success of the team form an invaluable experience needed for pursuing a career and building confidence and self-esteem.

To fully use the potential of the team, the comfort of work should be guaranteed. In terms of the group as a whole and of every individual member. The comfort here doesn’t mean the lack of pressure or the lack of unreasonable requirements, but the comfort means the work environment, being a very tangible factor. And that notion has a deeper meaning than the traditional understanding of  Occupational Health and Safety.  

How can we  build a comfortable work environment which will be flexible enough to take into consideration the comfort of work of every single worker and the efficiency of teamwork.? To start with, let’s create a friendly office space.
Let’s be flexible. Let’s use in our office those solutions which will let us introduce changes quickly. With the furniture from Balma PLUS collection you can freely arrange the space. The mobile upholstered screens will let you have everything within easy reach and ETUM partition walls will ensure the acoustic comfort, when a quiet moment will be needed to stay focused.  

PKP Telkol, design and implementation by: Balma Showroom in Warsaw, photos by: Kąty Proste

The bottom line is to ensure the functionality of your workplace. And to ensure aesthetics. The original design has a relaxing effect and it can increase workers’ creativity. Balma PLUS collection skilfully combines comfort with functionality. Thanks to the soft poufs, you can relax in any business area. Having coffee or tea, talking or integrating with others – these all activities require a special setting. A stimulating, informal space will for sure bring about some tangible results.

But first of all – do talk to one another. Business meetings or task group meetings are challenges that we can easily meet now because of the use of modern office elements. Let’s give our teams some privacy by arranging the talks in comfortable and quiet Balma compartments.

A few workers is nothing more than just a group of random people. However, in order to build a TEAM you need excellent communication, mutual trust and a satisfying work environment.
Let’s arrange the office in such a way that teamwork becomes a real pleasure.

Balma Team